Collapsible box



Oct. 27, 1925. 1,559,242

C. A. FOX

COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed March 5 25 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

12 flupL INVENTOR CHHRLE Fox BYWA ATTORNEYS C. A. FOX

COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed March 5, 1925 Oct 27, 1925.

a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CHHRLEs RFOX I BYW ea/n C. A. FOX

COLLAPS IBLE BOX Filed March 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR 9 CH/7RLE8 FQX ATTORNEYS Patented Oct; 27, 1925.

CHARLES A. FOX, or NEW Yonx, N. 'Y.

COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Application filed March 5, 192 5. Serial No. 13,051.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. Fox, a citizen of the United States, residing at- New York city, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Boxes, of which the following is a specification.v

This invention relates to improvements in containers, and has particular reference to a collapsible box. I

An object of the invention is toprovide an improved box of simple and inexpensive construction which may be easily and quickly folded and setup in operative position and in which the corners and walls thereof are strongly reinforced against collapsing when the box is in use.

Another object is to provide the box with corner portions and to cut each portion to form 'a securing portion and a locking tongue, the former of which is fastened or stitched to an adjacent end wall and the locking tongue'interengaged with said wall, the securing portion and tongue combining to reinforce said end wall against collapsing.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed de-' scription, when taken-in connectionwith the accoumanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

I n the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sec tion of. the box constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section therethrough looking at the interior of one of'th end walls;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one corner of 'the section, illustrating the manner in which the locking tongue is interengaged with the end wall;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a section ofthe box in its folded position;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank forming theseel ion;

Figure (l is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a slightly different form of box;

Figure 7 is a transverse section therethrough;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the box illustrated in Figure (5 showing the same in its folded position; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the blank from which is formed the box illustrated in Figure 6.

The present invention is particularly designed for use in connection with the manufacture of boxes of the larger sizes which are made of fiber board or similar materials usually employed for boxes of this'character and the invention is further particularly adapted for the making of boxes known as the'telescoping type, although it. will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be construed as being limited to this form of box. In illustrating the invention there has been shown only one section of the box and in carrying out the invention it is proposed to construct only thebodyportion of the box as illustrated. In this event the cover or upper section of the box may be of any desired folding construction. However,- itwill be understood that, if so desired the cover may be formed in precisely the same manner as the bottom section without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and more par-' ticularly to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the section of the box illustrated, and which will be assumed to be the bottom section or body of the box, is formed from a single sheet of material as shown in Figure 5 and scored along longitudinal and transverse lines 10 and 11 to provide the side and end walls 12 and 13, respectively. Ear-hend of each of the side walls 12 is provided with a' corner portion defined by the scored line 14 and said portion is cut to form a securing portion 15 and a locking tongue 16, the latter of which is capable of interenga'gement with the adjacent wall 13 by the insertion of a portionof the tongue into a substantially horizontal slot 17. The securing portion 15 is scored .to provide a diagonal folding line '18 and the side wall 12 is likewise scored to the securing portions 15 outwardly beyond the folding lines 18 thereof are secured or stitched to the inner surfaces of the adjacent end walls byv suitable fasteners 20, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.- After this is done the end walls may be collapsed outwardly and the side walls inwardlynpon the bottom of the section with the unfastened part of each securing portion folding over upon the fastened part 'thereoflalong the foldin line 18. The parts will then assmile the positionshown inFigure 4 wherein the sectionof the box will be completely collapsed and folded in such position as to occupy a minimum space when being transported or stored.

To set up the box in operative position.

each side wall 12 is unfolded upwardly and outwardly toward the vertical position and in so doing will draw the end walls toward a vertical position by reason of the attachment of the securing portions 15 to the end will then be in substantially the position walls. The side and end walls of the box shown in Figure. 3. Then each wall is grasped and drawn to its full vertical position, which it assumes when the box is completely set up. Each locking tongue is then swung around the scored line 14 as a pivot, so that said tongue will be brought to a plane substantially parallel to that of the adjacent endwall. With the tongue in this position it may be freely swung upwardly and then downwardly in a vertical plane parallel to the end wall by reason of the folding line 19 in the side wall which forms a hinge for said tongue. This movement isv clearly illustrated in Figure 3 and it will be seen from said figure that by swinging the tongue in this manner the insertion of the free extremity thereof into the adjacent slot v17 will be greatly facilitated and that by reason of the folding line 19 it will not be necessary to impart to the side wall any undue or excessive strain when placing the tongue in its locking pos1t1on.- After the tongues are inter-engaged with the end walls it will be apparent that with the securing portions 15' arranged upon the interior of said walls and the locking tongues on the exterior thereof the end, walls will be se curely bracedand reinforced against collapsing when the box is in use. Also by engaging the tongues with the end wall in the manner specified any possibility of the tongues being accidentallydetached by rea- -walls to fold upon the bottom of the section,

as shown in Figure 4.

The blank of the section shown in Figure 9 includes a corner portion dclmed by the scored lines 14 and 21 to provide the securing portion 15 and the locking tongue 16; also each locking tongue 16 is of a length equal to the depth of the end wall whereas in the blank shown in Figure 5, the locking tongue is slightly shorter in length than the depth of the end wall. This latter difference is entirely immaterial as the locking tongues -may be of any'desired length. In the form shown in Figures 6 to 9 the side walls and the end portions including thesecuring portions 15 and tongues 16, are folded inwardly upon the scoring lines 10 and 21 and the part of each securing portion outside of the diagonal fold line 18 issecured to the end wall by fasteners 20 as in the construction reviously described. The parts 'are then 1n the collapsed position shown in Figure 8 and in this position the parts of the securing portions are not. folded over upon themselves along the scoring lines 18, as in Figure 4. However, when moving the side walls upwardly and outwardly to set up the section in its operative position each secnring portion will be folded along the line 18 'so that when the section is completely set up the unfastened part of each securing portion will be folded against the secured part thereof, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, in which position the doubling of the material of the securing ortion will form, I at the lower portion 0 the end wall adjacent the corner, three thicknesses of material including that ofthe end wall and thus strongly reinforce the lower corner of the section. By making the lockingtongue 16 a continuation of the side wall and then folding the same around the corner formed by the end wall and securing portion 15 and engaging the same with said wall, in the same manner as described in connection with Figure 1, it will also be apparent that three thicknesses of the material will be provided at the upper portion of the end wall adjacent the corner thereby further reinforcing the box at this point.

\(Vhat is claimed is: 1. In a collapsible box, a section including a side wall and an end wall, one of which is formed with a slot, at corner portion at one end of the other wall formed to provide a securing portion and a locking tongue, said securing portion being fastened to the first named wall and said locking tongue being capable of extension along said first named wall-and engaged in said slot, and a folding line formed in said other wall adjacent said locking tongue and pro.- viding a hinge for said tongue to permit of free upward and downward movements thereof relative to the side and end walls in a plane substantially parallel to said first named wall when the tongue is being inserted into said slot.

2. In a collapsible box, a section inclnding a side wall and an end wall, and a corner tension around said corner and along said end wall to form a triple thickness of material adjacent .the upper portion of said tongue.

3.,In a collapsible box, a section including a side wall and an end wall, and a corner portion at one end of said side wall formed to provide a securing portion and a locking tongue, said securing portion being fastened to said end wail to form a corner of the box and having a portion thereof folded over against another portion to provide a triple thickness of material adjacent the lower portion of said corner, said locking tongue being capable of extension along said end wall to form a triple thickness of material adjacent the upper portion of said corner, and said tongue also being capable of upward anddownward movements in a plane parallel to said end wall to interengage said tongue with said wall.

4. In a collapsible box, a section including a side wall and an end wall, and a corner portion at one end of saidside' wall formed to provide a securing portion and a locking tongue, said securing rtion being fastened to said end wall to orm a corner of the box and having a. portion thereof folded'over against another portion to provide a triple thiclmess of material adjacent the lower portion of said corner, said lockin tongue being capable of extension along said end wall to form a triple thickness of material ad'acent the upper portion of said corner, sai tongue also being capable of upward and downward movements in a plane parallel to saidend wall to interengage said tongue with said wall, and a folding line formedin said side wall adjacent said locking tongue and providing a hinge therefor to permit of free movements of said tongue when being engaged'with and disengaged from said wall.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

CHAS. A. ox. 

